


Just a twist in your destiny

by lunaemoth



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: AgriCorps (Star Wars), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Force Visions, Gen, Qui-Gon Jinn Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:07:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26360884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunaemoth/pseuds/lunaemoth
Summary: When Obi-Wan is sent to the Agricorps as a teenager, it feels like the end, but it's a just a different path, a little twist of destiny. Ultimately, he still ends up on Tatooine when he's needed, as the Force wishes it.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Shmi Skywalker, Padmé Amidala & Obi-Wan Kenobi
Comments: 12
Kudos: 197
Collections: 2020 Obi-Wan Kenobi Gen Exchange





	Just a twist in your destiny

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shadaras](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadaras/gifts).



> Shadaras offered so many interesting prompts, I had so many ideas... I couldn't fit them all, but I still took bits and pieces and smash them together. All I hope now is that it's not too much of a mess and they like it! :)
> 
> NB: This doesn't strictly follow any canon, Legend or not, and is just inspired by them.

Obi-Wan once thought his life ended at thirteen. After all, it felt like the end of the world.

“I was meant to be a Jedi!” he told the governess between whines. Tear tracks went down his cheeks. After days of silence, he had cracked and burst into tears at one more caring question.

Governess Nola Vel dried his cheeks with her thumbs, smiling softly. “Well, then, it’s a good thing you still are, isn’t it?”

“I— It’s not the same! I won’t be a Knight, I won’t help people and make a difference!”

“You won’t be a Knight, that’s true, but all the rest isn’t, my dear. You can help millions of people, and change the destiny of whole planets. Your destiny is still yours to trace. You won’t have the same tools, the same missions, or the same stakes as a Knight, but they’ll all matter just as much. Your ability to make a difference is not defined by a lightsaber but by the Force. Believe in the Force, my dear apprentice.”

He didn’t believe the Force nor the Governess at the time.

He should call Nola one day, to thank her for never giving up on the dramatic teenage boy who thought his life had ended. He hardly had been the first nor the last, of course. The Service Corps were used to crestfallen apprentices. Some of them didn’t benefit from the patient and loving care of Nola Vel and grew bitter. 

Obi-Wan learned better. 

oOo

Padmé admired the twin suns rising over Tatooine with a mix of dread, annoyance, and hope. Despite her daring escape from Naboo and their current precarious situation on a desertic planet, the fate of her people was prevalent in her mind, and she had slept poorly thinking about them. At least, she wasn’t stuck in the ship without anything to do but fret and worry. Unfortunately, following Master Jinn was also a trial for her nerves. She disliked his plan to gamble for the part they needed… but she didn’t have anything better to suggest.

She looked at the streets while Master Jinn made a deal with Watto. It was a very diverse crowd, either battered and roughened by life on such a planet or reckless and dangerous for adventuring on it willingly. Many of them protected themselves from the suns. A humanoid even had an outfit that reminded her of…

“Obi!” she shouted as the man turned around, offering her a glimpse of his pale skin despite the cover of his large hat. She jumped on her feet and crossed the street.

Obi-Wan Kenobi turned away from the shop he was looking at to face her.

He blinked in surprise. “Padmé? What are you doing here?!”

“It’s a long story. I never thought I’d meet you here! Are you on a mission?”

Obi-Wan looked around and put a hand on her back, pushing her gently toward a less crowded area. “On a research outing,” he replied distractedly before facing her with a frown. “I heard the news about Naboo. How did you end up here? Are you in need of help?”

“Our ship is damaged. We are looking for a new hyperdrive generator.”

“And your staff let you come and look for it yourself?” he asked, sounding dubious.

“I’m not alone, and no-one is letting me do anything.”

“Election or not, you haven’t changed at all,” he commented with a small smile.

“You grew your hair,” she pointed out with a raised eyebrow. “It fits you.” Much better than the cropped look. The strawberry blond curls framing Obi-Wan’s ears were lustrous.

“It protects me more from the sun,” he replied distractedly before looking around. “So, did you find what you need?”

Before Padmé could answer, Qui-Gon Jinn came out of Watto’s shop a few meters away and looked for her. “Padmé?” When he caught sight of her, he walked up to them. “Don’t wander. Tatooine can be dangerous.”

Obi-Wan froze as he came face to face with Master Jinn who glanced at him and frowned.

“Do we know each other?” Qui-Gon asked.

Noticing her friend’s discomfort, Padmé made the introductions: “This is Obi-Wan Kenobi, from the Agricorps. We know each other from a relief mission on Rodia. Obi-Wan, this is Master Qui-Gon Jinn.”

Obi-Wan bowed lightly. “Greetings, Master.”

“I see,” Qui-Gon murmured thoughtfully. “We must have met when you were still on Coruscant.”

“Yes," Obi-Wan replied noncommittally. The Master had been one of those who had watched the trials he had gone through and chose to abstain to take a padawan, thus sealing Obi-Wan's fate. He was hardly responsible for it, though, a little voice of wisdom reminded the frustrated and hurt child still residing in a part of his mind.

“An interesting coincidence, meeting you here,” Qui-Gon noted. “The Force must have its reasons… but you seem quite young to be alone.”

“I have been granted the title of Engineer a few weeks ago, so I’m qualified for simple trips alone. I’m not meant to stay long, however. I just came to get a few krayt dragon parts.”

“Krayt dragons?” Padmé repeated curiously.

“Carnivorous reptiles native to Tatooine. They’re fascinating. We’re currently studying them for their adaptive measures to their environment,” Obi-Wan explained, cheering up at the subject.

“They’re wizard!” A small voice piped up. They all turned to see Anakin had joined them. He looked at Obi-Wan curiously. “Are you going to kill one?”

“I don’t think that will be necessary. Although it’s a bit pricey, buying parts from local hunters is more in tune with the Agricorps’ philosophy.”’

“Right,” Anakin muttered, losing his interest in the conversation and looking up at Qui-Gon. “Watto said I could go and train for the race!”

“Let’s go, then,” the Jedi agreed with a kind smile. He turned to Padmé. “Watto agreed to the deal. Stay with Shmi or come with us but don’t wander.”

Padmé chose to follow and silently invited Obi-Wan to come with her so they could talk. Walking a few steps behind an enthusiastic kid and a benevolent Jedi, Padmé explained their situation and the ‘deal’ to her friend.

“If we had met yesterday, I’d have offered my funds, but I already spent too much for your generator,” Obi-Wan commented, frowning. “This seems highly risky.”

“I know,” Padmé whispered in agreement. “Master Jinn thinks Anakin is a powerful Force-sensitive, but still.”

After a few minutes more of whispered discussion, Obi-Wan left to finish his purchases. He had a feeling that he’d have to make a quick exit soon, and he wanted to at least finish his task before then. It was the first time he had been trusted with a solo mission, and he wasn’t going to fail such a simple objective.

At least, now he understood the nagging feeling that something important was going to happen he had had when landing on Tatooine. Certainly, finding the new Queen of Naboo in trouble was a little out of the norm for him. It had been interesting when he had learned that the young girl he had met on Rodia two years ago, always full of questions about his work, had become the leader of her people. It was the sort of anecdotes you could share with friends and colleagues. However, he hadn’t expected to ever see her again.

The Force must have its reasons, indeed.

oOo

Obi-Wan went to find Padmé after the pod race. He had stored the crates delivered to his ship while listening to the local channel covering the race, and he knew Master Jinn’s gamble had paid off. He was glad that he had finished in time to assist in whatever would come up next.

“Relieved?” he asked Padmé as she harnessed the hyperdrive generator on a sleigh.

“Extremely,” she confirmed with a smile.

He went to tie the rope next to hers and lowered his voice so the Gungan making a mess of his own work couldn’t hear. “I didn’t take the time to ask yesterday… How are you faring, really? All of this, just at the beginning of your reign…”

She sighed and tugged on a rope. “I’ll do what’s necessary for my people.”

“I know you will, that’s not even in question. You’re strong, stubborn, and smart. If anyone can deal with this, it’s you. But if you want to talk about it, you know you don’t have to worry about formalities with me, right?”

She paused in her work and straightened to face his candid expression. “... I do. Thank you, I appreciate the offer and your faith in me… but I’d rather not talk about it.”

He nodded in understanding. “Fair enough. It’s a standing offer.”

They worked in companionable silence for a while, until Padmé relaxed and asked about what he had done since they had separated. Obi-Wan told her about his work. They made small talk as they finished and waited for Qui-Gon.

“Anakin has to pack and say goodbye to his mother while we take all of this to the ship," Padmé explained. "Master Jinn will bring back the sleds and then escort him to the ship.”

“Anakin’s mother? She’s staying here?”

Padmé nodded with a dour expression. “She’s a slave. Master Jinn was able to free Anakin, but Watto refused to let Shmi go. This is so…” She sighed and shook her head. “I can’t believe there’s still slavery in the galaxy.”

“In many ways, unfortunately,” Obi-Wan murmured thoughtfully, glancing toward the house where a brown-haired woman was talking to Qui-Gon. He had a feeling… No, that wasn't what he was here for. He shook his head and looked down at his friend. “Anyway, what matters is that you’ll be able to leave safely soon enough. You’ll go to Coruscant?”

Padmé nodded and told him of her (the Queen’s) plans to appeal to the Senate.

“I hope you’ll get the help you need for your people,” he told her, squeezing her hands between his. “It seems you didn’t need me after all.”

“I was glad to see you again,” Padmé told him sincerely. “Your presence brought me comfort. It reminded me of better days.”

“Well then, if this was my part in your story, I’ll take it. Anything for you, my lady.” He winked at her before letting go. “May the Force be with you.”

Obi-Wan left for his ship after a nod of farewell to the Master Jedi. It seemed he had overreacted to the meeting and thought too much of vague feelings. He could go back to his Research Station, successful in his mission, and knowing that Padmé was in good hands. A Master Jedi was by her side, after all, she didn’t need him.

As he settled in the pilot seat of his small ship, Obi-Wan’s hands moved on their own, following the familiar procedure for launch. They slowed and then paused.

“Force,” he sighed between his teeth. He pinched his nose. “I’m imagining things…”

A silhouette flashed on the back of his eyelids. Dressed in dark blue, she watched a small boy walk away from her, a deep feeling of sorrow and dread rising as the boy disappeared.

“Nope, not imagining things,” Obi-Wan concluded and shut down every system he had started. “Damn it. What is it about the mother?”

He didn’t have such a clear vision in ages. Vague feelings, he could ignore, but Engineer or not, he was still a Jedi. You didn’t ignore the Force when it shoved its demands in your face. That must have been what Master Jinn was feeling with the boy. Why hadn’t he felt it for the mother?

Obi-Wan rose from his seat and walked through his ship, passing by the walls of climbing plants, the drawers of seeds, the cupboards of equipment, and the fish tanks. As he reached the access ramp and pressed on a button to lower it, he blinked and took two steps back to stare at the tanks. They were currently empty of any fish since he had only taken the ship for a quick trip on a desertic planet, but they were full of water to keep the equipment functional.

“Oh,” he murmured. “That’s why.”

The Skywalker’s house had only one life signature when Obi-Wan reached it. Master Jinn must have already taken the boy away.

“Excuse me,” he called, standing on the doorstep.

Shmi came out of a backroom, followed by a protocol droid without any covering. “You’re Padmé’s friend, aren’t you? Can I help you? She already left.”

“Yes, I know. Mh…” Obi-Wan licked his bottom lip and tried to find a way to express himself without sounding creepy. “I don’t know if Padmé told you, but I’m a Jedi too… just a different kind from Master Jinn…”

Shmi nodded slowly. “A researcher, right?”

“Exactly. I still am Force-sensitive and trained, and the Force is currently being really insistent… So… would you like me to buy your way out of here? And would you know how much water you’re worth, by chance?”

oOo

“You freed Shmi?!”

Obi-Wan shrugged at the small holoprojection of Padmé. “What the Force wants, the Force gets. I thought I could catch you before you left the atmosphere, but I barely managed to hail you before you jumped in hyperspace. I should have realized you were in a hurry to get to Coruscant.”

“It’s a little more than that,” Padmé admitted. “Master Jinn was attacked by an assailant with a red lightsaber. We can’t linger.”

Obi-Wan startled at the mention of such a weapon, but Padmé was continuing:

“Can you follow us to Coruscant?”

“I have to ask permission first, but I could, with some delay.”

“Alright. Contact us to confirm.” She glanced to the side. “We must go now. See you soon, Obi-Wan.”

Obi-Wan bid her farewell, flew his ship out of the atmosphere, and then contacted his Chief Engineer before jumping in hyperspace. When he was done, he walked back to the lounge area.

Sitting with her back to the empty tanks, Shmi was staring at the wall of plants with wonder.

“I haven’t seen so much greenery in ages,” she murmured to herself.

Obi-Wan smiled with sympathy and walked to his fridge to see what he had to offer to his guest.

“The Force willing, you’ll see as much as your heart wishes from now on. I contacted my superior. We’ll have to stop by my Research Station so I can unload, but it’s not a great detour and we’ll be able to leave just after. It should only be a few hours of delay. You’ll see your son soon.”

Shmi smiled at him calmly. “It’s alright. Anakin is destined to be a Jedi, so I won’t see him much. I made my peace with that. As long as he’s happy and safe, it’s all that matters. You have given me much more than I could hope for. I don’t know how I can repay you.”

He offered her a drink, and she took it with a curious glance at the label.

“I’d tell you that you don’t have to do any such thing, but pragmatically speaking…”

“Yes?”

“Do you have any mending skills? Because I ripped my cloak while loading the crates this morning, and my stitches look like a row of bantha’s teeth. The quartermaster will Force-float me if I ask for another.” He favored a hat and civilian clothes when he left his ship, but the cloak was comforting. He was raised with it: he used to nap in his Creche Master's cloak, he had been proud to get his first cloak for outings, and now the weight and fabric were just soothing.

Shmi laughed at the description and the exaggerated way Obi-Wan spoke as he prepared to heat some frozen meals.

“I can do that for you,” she confirmed, pressing her hands to the cold drink with a little smile.

They settled at the little table of the kitchenette for their dinner and made small talk. Shmi asked about his work, and he explained the missions of the Agricorps in general before talking about the researches his group worked on in particular.

“I didn’t know a Jedi could do this kind of thing as well,” she commented curiously. “What made you choose it?”

Obi-Wan stared at his plate as he replied: “It was not exactly a choice.” He sighed and smoothed his hair back as he realized how despondent he sounded. He was over it, no need to be so gloomy. “It is, for many Initiates, of course, but at least half of the teenagers who end up in the Corps were rejected from the Master course.”

“Rejected? Because they don’t have good enough results?”

“For most. And then, for some, it’s just that there isn’t the right Master available by the time they age out.”

“There is an age limit?” she asked with worry.

Obi-Wan hummed before he realized what bothered her. “Oh, I wouldn’t worry too much about Anakin. The way Master Jinn fought for him, I’d say his future is already settled.”

“You think?”

“Master Jinn has a reputation… He’s quite stubborn about his decisions.”

Shmi smiled softly. “I noticed.” They ate in silence for a while before she resumed the conversation: “It wasn’t your choice, but are you happy?”

Obi-Wan blinked at the frank question. He took a moment to consider his answer. While he had made his peace with the turn his life had taken, ‘happy’ seemed too bold a word to define him. He’d rather say... “I’m content.”

“I was content too, on Tatooine,” she said after a little nod of understanding. “Watto wasn’t a bad Master… but I’m happy to leave. I hope you’ll find happiness, Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

She rose to clean the dishes, and Obi-Wan didn’t reply or think to stop her.

An old Engineer had once told him that it was the Force’s wish that Obi-Wan didn’t become a Master, and that he should listen to the Force and do his bidding. Obi-Wan had complied. Was happiness part of the Force’s plans for him? It remained to be seen.

oOo

In any case, it seemed that the Force didn’t want Obi-Wan and Shmi to reach Coruscant.

At the Research Station, they had been delayed by a malfunction in the fuel pump slowing down their resupply. The local medic had taken this opportunity to see Shmi, remove her slave chip, and do a complete check-up. Obi-Wan had been dragged to do a full report and explain why he had used two cubic meters of water to ‘buy’ a slave, of all things. It led to mentioning Master Jinn, and Obi-Wan’s Chief worried this meeting would set back his mental state.

“I don’t resent, Master Jinn,” Obi-Wan promised. “It’s not about him.”

He was sent to their Mind Healer nonetheless. “Just to be sure.”

Then, a small shuttle of young Apprentices on a field trip arrived at the Research Station, and the Mind Healer thought it would be a brilliant idea if Obi-Wan, as one of the youngest Engineers available, could take some time for them.

A young girl named Lyra, ten years younger than him, took a liking to him and had a ton of questions for him.

Obi-Wan didn’t exactly mind, the girl was smart and inquisitive, and she deserved some attention, but he felt like he was on a chrono. He had a bad feeling again. He was needed elsewhere…

Finally, after two days in space and two days at the station, Shmi and Obi-Wan left. They had just received a notification from Padmé that she was leaving Coruscant: her appeal to the Senate had failed, she had to save her planet on her own.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Obi-Wan muttered to himself as he changed his planned course from Coruscant to Naboo. “It’s closer than Coruscant, at least. We might be able to reach it around the same time as the Queen.”

“The Queen?” Shmi repeated. “You know her?”

Obi-Wan blinked at her. “Yes?”

“I wasn’t aware you had met the Queen as well, how is she?”

“Oh,” he murmured as he realized the issue. “Well, I suppose I can tell you now… you have met her too.”

Shmi needed a moment to understand, just long enough for them to jump in hyperspace. “Padmé is the Queen?!”

“Yep. I met her before her election. It was amusing learning that the young girl I had met became Queen, but I could see it all too well.”

“She’s so young.”

Obi-Wan sighed and nodded. “The Naboo are pacifists. She was never meant to endure such an ordeal, even less so two months after her coronation, but she’s strong, she can do it.”

Shmi quieted, the discovery leaving her contemplative.

oOo

“I can’t decide if I have the most rotten luck or if the Force likes to play with my nerves…” Obi-Wan grumbled to himself as he ran in a hallway of the Royal Palace of Theed. "Who am I kidding? Definitely the first option. That’s not how the Force works."

They had reached Naboo as planned, but Obi-Wan hadn’t been able to contact Padmé. Either because they hadn’t left hyperspace yet or because they were already on the ground and communications were down, Obi-Wan couldn’t tell. He had to decide: wait indefinitely outside of the Trade Federation’s reach or breach the blockade and land. With Shmi’s blessing, he had gone for the second option. Anakin had inherited her bravery.

They had landed not too far from Theed in the middle of the night (all lights off, so with a lot of help from the Force not to crash). As they explored their surroundings, they had discovered one of the prison camps. They had escaped the droids’ notice while catching the attention of one of the prisoners in a tattered Royal Security Uniform, thus sharing information on both sides. Still, they had no idea what the Queen planned except that it would no doubt happen any day now.

“Can’t you help them?” Shmi had asked when they had left the camp to sleep on their camouflaged ship.

“I’m no Master Jedi,” Obi-Wan had replied, with just a hint of bitterness. This was typically the kind of missions he would have done if he had been a Padawan… but he hadn’t been taught by a Master. How did he end up in this situation again? Oh yes, the bad feeling… still very vivid and insistent, this one, and no visions to help this time.

That night, Obi-Wan had rolled out of his bunk with the image of a red lightsaber plastered on his eyelids. An hour later, news of the Gungans’ attack had reached the prison camp.

And now, Obi-Wan found himself sneaking into the Royal Palace. After learning he was a Jedi (no matter that he wasn’t any Knight or Master; for most people, a Jedi was a Jedi), the Royal staff imprisoned had eagerly shared all the information they knew to help him, such as the most discrete entrances and paths.

Their help had allowed him to infiltrate the place, but the alarm had sounded out (not because of him, which meant that Padmé was in action and he didn’t have much time). Evading the droids that now patrolled the hallways in large groups, Obi-Wan stretched his mind, reaching out for the specific feeling of a trained Force-sensitive being.

Feeling two nearby, Obi-Wan cursed and turned to the right with a twirl, sprinting as fast as he could.

The red lightsaber was still printed on his mind, along with the dull sound of a body falling to the ground. Jinn. He didn’t remember much more, but he heard the Force’s warning loud and clear.

Obi-Wan passed by a hangar, followed a path full of droid parts, and reached what was indicated as the Generator Complex. He barreled inside, Force-pushing himself through so he could outrun the energy fields along the way. He found Qui-Gon Jinn battling a red zabrak on the other side of a chasm, and the next steps of their battle appeared in his mind: Jinn unbalanced, the Sith impaling him through the lungs.

Breathing quickly, Obi-Wan paused and raised his hand, focused.

A blow of the zabrak.

Qui-Gon unbalanced.

A Force-push.

Obi-Wan was no Knight. Not even a Padawan. He practiced his lightsaber as a hobby, not as a duty. He wasn’t guided by a Master. He didn’t know all the subtilities of the Force he could have been taught. But he had to deal with hard labor on a daily basis, and if there was something the Agricorps Jedi favored it was a good Force push and pull to get crates in place in record time.

So he pushed the zabrak against the wall, and he held him in place.

Once he understood there was an interloper, the Sith fought back.

Obi-Wan held on. Long enough for Jinn to recover.

Long enough for the Master Jedi to end the fight.

And as Obi-Wan sat down heavily and tilted his head back to catch his breath, he discovered he was happy. A chuckle made his way out of his mouth before he truly laughed in relief and satisfaction.

The Force had shown him the way.

oOo

The victory’s celebration had been an elegant and grand affair. Obi-Wan and Shmi had been invited, but they had both chosen to stay on the outskirts of the parade and the party.

Shmi had helped the prisoners escape while Obi-Wan had gone to the palace, but both of them felt like their contribution had been minimal, and neither of them cared much for rewards and acknowledgments.

What mattered came after.

Qui-Gon Jinn and Anakin left two weeks after the victory.

“Congratulations on your new job, Shmi,” the Master Jedi said with a respectful and friendly nod.

“Thank you,” she replied in her brand new uniform of Royal Attendant. She looked radiant in the elegant clothes, but it was her peaceful and happy smile that made all the difference. She had had two more weeks with her son, and they had taken every opportunity to make this second goodbye as joyful and peaceful as possible.

Anakin was beaming, proud of his mother, and comforted by the knowledge that she was safe at his angel's side.

Master Jinn turned toward the other Jedi planning to leave that day. “Obi-Wan. I wish you a safe journey back to the Research Station.”

“Thank you. You as well,” Obi-Wan replied, shaking the hand offered.

“To the pleasure of seeing you again. Who knows, we might have the occasion to pass by one day.” It wasn’t unheard of for a Master Jedi to resupply at a Corps outpost. All Jedi supported each other.

“You shouldn’t take too long then, because I don’t plan to linger for long.” At the raised eyebrow he was offered, Obi-Wan explained: “I plan to resign from the Agricorps one day or another… to explore the galaxy a bit, maybe… or to take the Queen’s offer of a job, who knows… I’ll follow the Force’s call.”

“And the Force calls you away from your research?”

“I think so.”

Qui-Gon nodded thoughtfully. “I can see it."

While he had been reserved, the Master had taken the time to talk to Obi-Wan about his intervention once they had the time to spare. After learning a Force vision had brought him, Qui-Gon didn't comment and just praised the power of his Force push.

Obi-Wan chose to think that this tranquil acceptance was a form of blessing.

"Well then, may the Force be with you, Obi-Wan.”

“And you, Master.”

**Author's Note:**

> I have ideas to continue this, but since I'm currently overworked, it won't happen anytime soon, if it ever does. :(
> 
> You can find me on lunaemoth.tumblr.com


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